Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-08-06
THE BOOMING WEST.
HOW DENVER HAS GROWN IN
POPULATION AND BUSINESS.

POPULATION AND BUSINESS.
Tho Residence City Of the Rockiss-Her
Pablis Buildings and Her Business
Outioek-Prioss Of Property In Resi-
dsnee and Business Sections.
Especial Corespondence.1
DENVER, July o.
Paris 10 France; Denver is Colorado. All
that Colorado makes comes to Denver; her
various interests are managed from Denver,
and 1t Is the ambition of every Coloradoan to
make his pile to come to Denver to live. II IL
already city OF nne homes, and IL has its
millionaire miners, stock raisers and other
capitalists, who have their interests out
side Of it. It has grown within few years
from town TO q city, and within the past
seven years has doubled its population. Den
YER, in 1870, contained only $500 population.
It was then struggling village, and its citi-
zsns were transient in their character. The
Denver Of 1887 has a population Of 5000,
and it 10 one Of the finest residence cities Of
its size in the United States. 1t has a steady
,rowth both In business and in building, and
Is citizens claim that it will reach 100, 900
ny 1890. ~
The town is named after Gen. James W.
Denver, of Ohio, fine old gentleman who
low practices law at Washington. have
,eard him tell the story, how when he was
Buchanan's territorial governor OF turbulent
Kansas q party Of pioneers visited him OIL
;heir way west to the Rockies, and how when
hey got here they founded this town and
tanned IL after him. This was away back IN
1858, and for years the new town had q
'truggle for existence. The railroads and the
'laments seem TO have fought against it, buf
t is conquering them all, and ID will continue
o, as It IL now tho great city at the base OF
be Rocky mountains.
Denver 10 fifteen miles from the foot Of tho
nountains It is located in . natural basin
d the junction Of Cherry creek and Platte
river, and it is almost as high above Cone,
Island Is il Mount Washington. The altitud,
Of this plateau il more than 5000 feet above
the SEQ, and the air 10 wonderfully pure and
clear. When the town was located q dirty.
drab plain was everywhere save on the banks
Of the streams, and not tree shaded the land
scape. Now, by irrigation, tho city is as green
as the lake towns of the Western Reserve.
and It has almost a. much right to the name
OF Forest City as has Cleveland itself.
Streams Of running water perpetually flow
through its cutters, its many lawns arc kept
green by continuous sprinkling, and water
has turned the dust into verdure. Towns
which can have trees for the planting appear
not to care for them, but Denver has worked
for her shade, and IL has been bought with a
price. Water is worth money here, and each
lot pays $40 year for its sprinkling alone.
tha ~
into the hundreds. It 10 used none the les
freely for all that, and the city has as good
water as artesian wells and mountain streams
can furnish. The Holly water works of the
Denver Water company have q capacity o.
12,OO0, 900 gallons daily and the artesian we'll.
here can supply 100000 gallons more 1t
costs about q, 900 to sink a good artesian we'll,
and there are 1873 Of them in the city. They
range In depth from ESQ TO l,125 feet. and the
best Of them are at least COO feet deep. The
water is extraordinarily clear and sweet, and
It IL preferred to that which comes down from
the mountains. s"s
Denver has few OF the aspects of . westsrn
city. Its streets are wide and its sidewalks
paved with Tagging. Its buildings are most
ly Of brick and stone, and it's streets are lined
with rows Of large cotton woods and aspens
II Is city Of homes. and il has as fine resi-
dences a. you will find anywhere. 1t ha
whole streets Of houses which have cos
5000, $4,000 and $4,000 apiece, and
boasts not few residences which are wort:
from S25. 900 to 500 600 The house Of Char
ley Kounts, one Of the rich Kountz Brothers
who have banks in New York, Omaha an.
here, cost, am told, 100000 to build, an,
the grounds about it are worth q like amount
IL Il built Of stone and Is modern in its arcLi
lecture. Ex-senator Tabor lives In bricf
palace which cost at least 425 900, and which
with the sixteen lots about it, Is worth $75,
600. W. 8. C1ieeseman, the owner OF one
the finest Of Denver's business blocks-whic
cost, by the way, 5000 000--has house wort,
$50, 600 Senator Hills mansion and ground
are worth 100000, and David Moffatt, th,
president OF tho Denver and Rio Grande rail
road, has . residence worth at least So, 900
One OF the largest gold and silver smeltin~
works in the world is located here: and Mr..
Eddy. ono Of its owners. who started in 1S1.
worth practically nothing, now has a plac.
which would sell for SEC, 600, and is worth 6
fortune. The Clayton Brothers are eacl
worth over $1,000 900. and William Clay
toms home Is worth go, 600, while that Q.
Governor Routt cost fortune.
80
1t Is the same with business blocks. Tn,
new Denver business blocks OF today ar,
three, four and five stories in height, and
they are made Of brick and stone. Colorado
has plenty Of good building material, and it.,
stone is shipped as far east as Chicago Law
renee street, which runs parallel with Lori
n'er, promises to be the big retail street of
the city, and o number Of fine blocks are 20
ing UP uponit. LOrimer street has many fins
stores, and Sixteenth, Seventeenth, Eight
zenith and Arapahoe streets are all good bust
ness centers. The wholesale parts Of the city
are below these, and the stores, both MS to
size and blocks, will compare we'll with those
Of the east. Prices do not vary from eastern
prices to any great extent.
.-s ..- 80 81 |'
As to tho prices OF real estate, for
these are in measure real estate let
ters, Denver business property, am told by
Mr.. X, h. MrMann, a leading banker and
real estate owner, has increased at Last
% per cent within the past year, and
the prices Of business property are still
such that it will net an increase when I'M
proved of from to l2 per cent. Of its cost.
Two lots on the corner Of Sixteenth and
Loriuier streets, amounting to so feet front
by l25 feet deep, with a two story building
upon them worth practically nothing, sold
lately for 500, 900, and the buyers have since
been offered SIS 600 Of All advance for their